I may be heading Victoria, B.C. soon for school. Anything that I should see and do whilst there?

Buchhardt(sp?) Gardens is supposed fantastic and there is a hotel (the Royal?) that serves a very proper English tea. I’ve never been but am planning to go there in the summer to visit relatives. Also, I believe there are orca watching expeditions from Victoria.

Thank-you, sexy bubby.

@janbb It’s Butchart. And they’re incredible. Wow. Beautiful.

@Adirondackwannabe thanks. Was too lazy to Google.

Yes! My Mom brought back a packet of Lupin seeds from Butchart.

I had the pleasure of vacationing in Victoria a few years ago, and the Butchart Gardens are a must-see. The Empress hotel provides a fantastic high tea service, and it’s also a perfect site to simply sit on the veranda and enjoy a cocktail. The entire area is so lovely—you can enjoy simply driving about. There are various museums and historic buildings to explore.

Yep. The Gardens. If I ever get to BC, it’s on my must list.

Take note of how people pronounce, “House and About.”

Besides all of the things to see in Victoria itself (the Provincial Museum, tea at the Empress, the Butchart Gardens), the rest of the island is very different (much less built up) and absolutely wonderful.

Cathedral Grove is a wonderful old growth grove of giant trees (up to 800 years old).

Pacific Rim National Park is fabulous. The scenery, the wildness.

If you get all the way to Tofino, take a boat trip out to Meares’ Island, where you can see trees that are more than 1,000 years old and still living.

@auhsojsa I’m Canadian. :)

@Mama_Cakes Whoops :D Hmm, well I believe there is a good community of Filipinos there. Try some of the food!

Oh, wow, Marina. Pacific Rim National Park is a must!

Get some chocolate at Rogers’ and some tea at Murchie’s.

Victoria is actually a pretty small town. You’ll see the sights pretty quick.

House and about are pronounced the same way across most of Canada: hows and abowt. About doesn’t change to aboot until you get to parts of the Maritimes.

The Burchart Gardens are lovely. There is also a Madam Tussauds there and a miniature museum. I love driving into the wilderness there and hiking.

While you are there take the ferry and visit the Gulf Islands. There is quite an artist community built up on the various Islands. I spent a few summers on Mayne Island and have many fond memories there.

I used to live in Nanaimo, and I have been to Victoria. Yes, see Butchart Gardens and have afternoon tea there. See Craiggdarroch Castle. See Beacon Hill and all of the antique stores on that street. Victoria has a fantastic China Town. Have high tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. See the wax museum, the maritime museum and the royal BC museum. See Fisgard Lighthouse. Shop in Market Square, and have lunch at the Japanese restaurant on the mezzanine, if it’s still there. Also look for Phat Phege’s Phudge Phactory. You can charter a boat and go salmon fishing, if you have the time and money.

Oh, and make sure you eat at least one meal at “The Keg.” Yummy!

Ah, I almost forgot. Have a nanaimo bar!

Vancouver Island outside of Victoria is sparsely travelled and pretty dramatic. There are some Haida and Kwakiutl towns – I find the Pacific Northwest tribal art spirited and delightful.

On the mainland the city of Vancouver is beautiful (one of my top five faves easily). Make you you see the Museum of Anthropology and fill your boots with native art and history.
Up the coast from Vancouver is Squamish where you can see world-class rock-climbers scaling the Chief, an hour farther up the Sea-Sky Highway is the Whistler/Blackcomb ski complex, huge and outstanding for any sort of downhill snow activity ( site of the previous winter Olympics). Not far inland is Mount Girabaldi among some of the most incredible coastal range mountains you can see anywhere.

Folks around there are into outdoor activities, biking, hiking etc. and if you like that and good scenery and mild weather you will be in heaven.